On question #3; if everyone lived "with our future in mind", do you think that we would live differently? (Different habits, behaviors, etc)
I would like to answer that question from my sister-in-law’s perspective. Susan has been a diabetic for over 35 years, first diagnosed when she fell into a diabetic comma. For the longest time Susan lived in a state of denial. She continued to eat as she pleased, including every once in awhile having a binge on sweets. Over the years her conditioned worsened yet Susan persisted in her state of denial but made some concessions, such as eating a slice of cake as her “exchange” for a slice of bread. Susan’s weight piled on, her conditioned continue to worsen, meaning that her many doctors could not get Susan’s A1C down to a healthy range. They classified her as a “Brittle diabetic” meaning her blood sugar levels were unpredictable. One doctor over 15 years ago told Susan she may as well quit college because she was not going to live much longer. Susan has since been in a steady decline, experiencing a slow death and ever-increasing loss of independence. All the things she loved to do, she can do no longer. She cannot drive a car, go to the bathroom, bathe, or eat anything she likes. She has not slept in a bed for over 5 years but must sleep in her power chair where she is confined to 24X7X365. She has crying fits that last for hours because of the pain from severe neuropathy in her legs which feel like “fire and ice” pain. This is actually her nerves dying. Susan has often said that if she knew years ago that this would be her future, she would have taken her diabetes seriously and managed it better, and obeyed the doctors orders. Susan is a warning of what could happen if people live in denial about a serious chronic disease. Her life is a constant living hell of pain, loneliness, dependence, and regret…with no end in sight until her body can take it no more.
